Mine just looks like me, but separate. When I'm super duper anxious, she's like curled in a ball and making keening noises while I'm going about my day. I don't do that when I'm panicking, but I do tend to go to bed and just hide. When I'm recovering, she's kind of sitting in a chair very stiffly and staring into space, like I do in my "freeze" mode. And, when I'm doing well, she's just relaxed and chill. She's basically a quick visualization for myself when I need to check how I'm doing, and also a way to confront my anxiety without diving headlong into it when I need to get things done.

When I can't stop and do self-care, or if I'm suddenly flooded with anxiety, I have a two-pronged strategy. First, I focus on what I can do in that moment. Anxiety rushes so far into the future that it's hard to see what can be done with what's in front of me. Sometimes, it's just reminding myself that I've planned for a contingency already, and I can breathe a little easier. Second is compartmentalization. Reminding myself that my anxiety is a part of me, but is *not me* helps a lot. It's kind of developed into visualizing my anxiety has another person in my head that I check up on from time to time. I can talk her down easier that way. I can also gauge how anxious I'm feeling that way as well, if I had a scare earlier in the day, and I've been working on calming down.

Yeah, more information means more possibilities. 😂

B1 and B4

My grandfather passed about a month after I moved to Illinois. I think he was around 90. He was able to meet Kronos when he visited me before I moved. I inherited his skills in math and logic, and even some artistic talent. I wasn't very close with him growing up, but my dad did a lot of emotional work to repair their relationship in the last few decades of his life. He was sharp as a tack up until the end, and even when he was grumbling and complaining, he was pretty funny.

Awwww. Still very fitting!

It occurs to me not everyone calls black cats Voids.... 😂

That's adorable. 🤣 Is he a little Void?

My little ones are scared of Outside and watch the birdies from windows. I like to give them boops on the glass when I'm outside. lol We found poor Ruby outside separated from her litter at a month old in 2014. She's been terrified of outside (and everyone that's not her family) since we took her in. She's our Anxious Princess.

I recently came back too! Welcome back!

Not sure if it's time for our colors yet, but here's something from my home state. Beignets!

Yeah, it's getting close to 60 F up here, but I'm not ready to trust it. My first winter-to-spring transition in the Midwest was really weird. And it happened right when I moved too. lol I was like, "It's snowing....in APRIL????"

The past couple weeks, we've had wind, rainstorms, then snow, repeat. lol IL, US

Spamming toward the end of the work day. I'm looking forward to a nice walk. Hopefully, it won't be as windy as it was on Monday. 😵‍💫

Hm. This thread definitely needs more

You're the best. *big hugs*

I made it late at night, and I got a little flustered, fighting the site. So now there's ANOTHER step. Oh dear. Though, it hasn't been 24 hours, so I'm not sure how long those links work. Hm....anyway. I'll go back to a static siggy for today and fight with it again when I'm ready. lol

Lol Poor Mat! I figured out the gif site, so now I can wear all of them!! 😁

It is very GREEN in a lot of ways, but I love the taste. lol

OMG, that is so adorable!! I'm definitely going to wear it. Thank you!!

It's a very thick, very tasty, very GREEN tea. (traditionally Japanese, too!)

That's so pretty!! (and fast! ) Thank you!! 🤍

I'm probably going to make myself a new sig here soon as well, but I'd like one from you as well, if that's okay. Text - Leala - Sitter for the White Ajah Image themes - Something to do with a White Aes Sedai. Whether that be a person or an item. Quill, library, snowflakes... Bonus points if you can make one with more than one in there. lol (I'll make my own dragon-themed one soon. lol) ETA: Oh! Crystals are another good image theme. Also, thanks for that link! I was worried I'd have to wrestle with Photoshop about it.

This is my take on it too, even with the serial killers' childhoods perspective. There are definitely points in her story that can be viewed in a sympathetic lens, but her actions and reactions to those story points are what makes her irredeemable, in my opinion. Let's not forget, she's the one who took all that intelligence and potential, then decided to run with it for her own twisted and selfish reasons. For literal ages. Honestly, it's the obsession that scares me the most with her.

*Comes in a little late* This thread is making me hungry...